Tower Talkno. 32, January 2014

THE UNIVERSITY OF TOLEDO RETIREES ASSOCIATION No. 32, January 2014 Tower TalkSandra Koepke, editor PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE One of the things that makes me very proud to be a part In addition, I thank all of the members of our two of UTRA is the fact that our organization continues to scholarship committees. These committee members recognize provide scholarship support to numerous students, both the importance of our scholarships and give of their time and on Main Campus and Health Science Campus. I have had energy to support these efforts. the wonderful opportunity to meet many of our scholarship And finally, of course, I want to again thank all of our recipients, and I continue to be impressed by the caliber UTRA members who have been generous in the past, and for of the undergraduate and graduate students to whom we what I hope will be a continuing support of our scholarships. provide financial assistance. I know that these students are We should all take great pride in the support UTRA provides appreciative of our support. It is the generosity of the UT to our students. retiree community, through their gifts to our two scholarship On another note, Bill Logie, along with Dan Saevig and funds, that allows us to do this. Ryan Hieber from our Alumni Relations Office, worked over Pam Pullella, UTRA Scholarship Committee chair, has been the summer to get clarification on the use of the UT Medical hard at work putting together a fundraising campaign for our Center by our OPERS members who are under Humana. As UTRA Scholarship Fund. When you receive this solicitation, you will read in this issue, our members under the Humana I ask that you think of the students who already have been plan who use UTMC will be treated as though they are “in helped by this scholarship and of those students who will network.” That is certainly great news. benefit in the years to come, and that you then make the UTRA members will once again find a wide variety of decision to join us in supporting the UTRA Scholarship Fund. upcoming programs and activities to take their minds off the I also want to thank Keith Schlender, Health Science cold and the snow. Please check them out. I look forward to Campus Retirees Scholarship Committee chair, for leading seeing you at our events! efforts this past year to raise money for the HSC Retirees Scholarship. Once again we asked our retirees to support this James W. Lapp, President scholarship, and once again our members came through with UTRA their support. NEW SCULPTURE FLOWS ON life forms that MAIN CAMPUS inhabit a stream. The large lower Judith Greavu pays tribute to the Ottawa River with her surfaces of the sculpture titled “Current Forces.” ‘water’ — the The work consists of three cast bronze sections mounted cast bronze on six brass tubes; it weighs more than 1,000 pounds and sections — in is 15 feet long, 5 feet wide and 10 feet tall. It recently was the sculpture installed on the south side of Bowman-Oddy Laboratories and allow for imagery Wolfe Hall. and textural “The piece evokes the course of the Ottawa River as it development that “Current Forces” by Judith Greavu was inspired by flows through two counties and shows the shape and form show some of the Ottawa River. The new sculpture recently was those life forms.” installed south of Bowman-Oddy Laboratories and and depth of the river,” said Dr. Steven LeBlanc, executive Wolfe Hall. associate dean for academic affairs and professor in the Indeed, close College of Engineering, who is chair of the Campus Environs inspection of the and Beautification Committee. “The piece complements the dry verdigris patina discovers a turtle, deer and raccoon tracks, educational and research interests of several of the academic mussels and fish. And five fused glass circles feature fish and departments that occupy the Bowman-Oddy complex.” crayfish in the artwork. When the sun strikes these spots, it’s Greavu said, “The surface of the water gives only hints of the reminiscent of light on the river. “The glass medium enhances the watery expression of the sculpture,” Greavu said. The river image also could be seen as a visual metaphor REMEMBER WHEN? for the diverse and dynamic science disciplines housed in By Mary Ann Heinrichs Bowman-Oddy Laboratories and Wolfe Hall. Remember how you felt on that first day when you “I hope viewers see beyond the ‘story’ of the river and the became a member of the University? What were your life forms and the symbolism to recognize the purely formal expectations; did they materialize? visual forces of the piece,” Greavu said. She was selected from approximately 20 artists from Remember when they put a dirt floor in the Memorial across Ohio who submitted proposals, according to LeBlanc. Field House so that the athletes could practice football The artist is known for her work that is fluid and symbolic and baseball? of nature. Greavu was an associate professor of art at Ohio Northern University from 1985 until her retirement in 2005. Remember when the itinerant tenant in the “Blue Funding for “Current Forces” came from the Ohio Percent Room” above the stage in Doermann Theater was for Art Program related to the renovation of Bowman-Oddy discovered. Apparently, he established a comfortable Laboratories and Wolfe Hall. home for himself. Rumor said that he even had an electric blanket. Remember when Vice President Lance Thompson was COOL, CLEAR WATERS almost the only one watching the UT girls’ basketball games? When did they change the name to “women’s By Augusta Askari basketball team”? Have you recently taken a stroll along the banks of Remember when the UT Chorus appeared on “The Ed the Ottawa River as it flows through UT’s Bancroft Sullivan Show” in 1958? Did you know anyone who Campus? Have you noticed how the water ripples was a member of the group? over and eddies around strategically placed rocks and Remember when the Student Union had bowling fallen trees? Have you realized that you are able to lanes? Or when did the faculty and staff bowling see sunlight and shadows playing tag through the leagues begin? branches of mature trees along the banks of the river? Did you peer over the bridge railings to watch some of the 40 different native species of fish swimming place aquatic improvements such as huge boulders and underneath or hiding nearby while protected by logs to mimic the river’s natural flow patterns. concrete barriers projecting into the river? Did you The Sept. 20 ribbon-cutting dedication ceremony enjoy a picnic lunch as you rested on a bench by the celebrating the habitat restoration was attended by Ottawa River? Have you admired panoramic vistas UTRA President Jim Lapp and his wife, Nancy and made visible following removal of invasive non-native Shirley Joseph. plants that formerly grew wildly along the banks? Did On Sept. 21, several UTRA members, including you see some of the 300 newly planted indigenous Jim and Nancy Lapp, Shirley Joseph, Nancy Wellman, plants? Have you ever considered the Herculean efforts Lynn Brand and Betty McKissen, volunteered at required to remove unsightly debris and to restore the registration table for the annual Clean Your some of the features natural to the Ottawa River? Streams Day. The Ottawa River restoration work on 3,700 feet UTRA members Nancy Lapp, Shirley Joseph, Augusta Askari of the waterway on UT’s Main Campus began in 2005 and Nancy Wellman volunteered with the formation of the UT President’s Commission at the registration table for on the River, headed by Dr. Patrick Lawrence, professor Clean Your Streams Day. and chair of the UT Department of Geography and Planning. The project was funded by a $235,000 grant from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency and a $151,000 grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. This project was supported by several other organizations, including the Toledo Metropolitan Area Council of Governments, EnviroScience, Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, Partners for Clean Streams and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. UTRA members Lynn Brand, Jim and Nancy Lapp listened to Dr. Patrick Faculty, staff, students and volunteers worked together Lawrence give instructions for the community-wide volunteer effort called Clean Your Streams, which was held Sept. 21. Lawrence, professor and to achieve the physically challenging task of clearing chair of geography and planning, is chair of the President’s Commission on underbrush and preparing for industrial machinery to the River. 2 UTRA SCHOLARSHIP REPORT The recipient in the College of Pharmacy and By Pamela Pullella Pharmaceutical Sciences is Tessa Conner. Tessa, a native of Dalton, Ohio, received the bachelor of science UTRA had some wonderful applicants this year for our in pharmaceutical sciences pharmacy health-care scholarship. The Scholarship Committee was faced with administration. She was competitively selected to the daunting task of choosing only two students to receive both admission and a teaching assistantship receive scholarships. in the master of science in pharmacy health-care Matthew Hankenhof (son of Barbara Hankenhof) administration program for fall 2013. Tessa’s selection was awarded a $1,000 scholarship. Matt is a was based on her high level of academic excellence senior majoring in civil engineering with a minor in and her involvement in service and professional efforts. entrepreneurship and small business. His goal is to As an undergraduate student, she was active in the one day be in a management position on construction Lambda Kappa Sigma fraternity, where she participated projects. He is well on this way to achieving that goal.

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